Document Detail


Bacillus anthracis CapD, belonging to the gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase family, is required for the covalent anchoring of capsule to peptidoglycan.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  16045616     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Several examples of bacterial surface-structure anchoring have been described, but they do not include polyglutamate capsule. Bacillus anthracis capsule, which is composed only of poly-gamma- d-glutamate, is one of the two major virulence factors of the bacterium. We analysed its anchoring. We report that the polyglutamate is anchored directly to the peptidoglycan and that the bond is covalent. We constructed a capD mutant strain, capD being the fourth gene of the capsule biosynthetic operon. The mutant bacilli are surrounded by polyglutamate material that is not covalently anchored. Thus, CapD is required for the covalent anchoring of polyglutamate to the peptidoglycan. Sequence similarities suggest that CapD is a gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase. Furthermore, CapD is cleaved at the gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase consensus cleavage site, and the two subunits remain associated, as necessary for gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase activity. Other Gram-positive gamma-glutamyltranspeptidases are secreted, but CapD is located at the Bacillus surface, associated both with the membrane and the peptidoglycan. Polyglutamate is hydrolysed by CapD indicating that it is a CapD substrate. We suggest that CapD catalyses the capsule anchoring reaction. Interestingly, the CapD(-) strain is far less virulent than the parental strain.
Authors:
Thomas Candela; Agnès Fouet
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Molecular microbiology     Volume:  57     ISSN:  0950-382X     ISO Abbreviation:  Mol. Microbiol.     Publication Date:  2005 Aug 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2005-07-27     Completed Date:  2005-09-13     Revised Date:  2006-11-15    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8712028     Medline TA:  Mol Microbiol     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  717-26     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Unité Toxines and Pathogénie Bactérienne (CNRS, URA 2172) Institut Pasteur, 28 rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Animals
Animals, Outbred Strains
Anthrax / microbiology,  physiopathology
Bacillus anthracis / genetics,  growth & development,  metabolism*,  pathogenicity*
Bacterial Capsules / metabolism*
Bacterial Proteins / genetics,  metabolism*
Female
Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial*
Mice
Peptidoglycan / metabolism*
Polyglutamic Acid / metabolism
Spores, Bacterial / pathogenicity
Virulence
gamma-Glutamyltransferase / metabolism*
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Bacterial Capsules; 0/Bacterial Proteins; 0/Peptidoglycan; 25513-46-6/Polyglutamic Acid; EC 2.3.2.2/gamma-Glutamyltransferase

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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